Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-05-31
fCoguishi. issi. ~ Ai-sad a fert,'.
THE GOOD OLD TINES or A
CENTURY AGO.
Nv JupGC G.. r. WurulN.
chapter Y
Halso Y
ALMOST a rHAorDr.


Nigh, a. length cams on. aad Bsehe'
lefs hi, coas,llmsa, in the woods, and
ven' 10 the hai of bic deserted wife. A
candle vas turains in her room and he
.ls BY l.. light. there va' another wom-
IN In the house siih ,hs eroas. Conceil.
81 ron ,iss he waited for the visitor TO
finish her call ani g1 homs. The hours
p,.,,i slowly ba, Aun, Bi,iy's comp.n.
i1a dill no' leave. A, last the ligh, va,
blown og, Aad the occupants retired TO
sleep. IL, hal bssua 20 ,hiver With The
COLI. Ani not diilng 20 eater while ,hs
visitor vas there. be so abjui h1dlng
quarters IN SON, oa; Of the way place.
lIs daally wen, into barn and ersp' into
hole Ia the hay-mow. where he slep,
comfortably Or several hours Tie Got
up early and wen, 10 hi. pl.cs Of conceal
meni IN the woods. lesi hl, presence
shonld become known 60 the occupants
of the premises. Here he ',sid through
the day. sni ~ nigh, he wsa' Asaia TO
the hat. The visitor was ,hsrs ~ before.
and upon a more thorough examination
he concluded she wa. doing some sewing
for hi, wife. ba, the latter at bol,,eied
up in . chair a. II unsell.
III. stock Of provisions bad siven out.
and the though, that he nigh, have 10
wAi, an Indefinite length of time. made
him desperate wha, wa, 10 be done'
|, wouldn't DO 10 have hi, presence
known ia the village. nor could be s,afve.
lie had come 20 obtain p,s'ss,ion Of the
will ani nothing .hor, Of murder would
preyen, his geiiingi,. Thus he reflected
a, he waited around the place hoping
,hA, the visitor would depart. Again
the light was blown out and again be
took 10 hi. couch in the hay. lie had
noticed. when be lsf, in the morning,
pile Of apple. Ia one corner of,he barn.
which The farmer App,ren,ly Intended TO
have ground up for cider. lie filed his
h,, With such a. were pAla,able. the re.
jsc,ed one. being thrown TO the cattle
tied in the lsAn.,o. Ills hunger satisfied.
he va, soon asleep.
AwAkins early a, usual. he heard the
rain pa,,ering upon the roof, aud !, being
imprac,icable for him to 10 ou, Of doors
in the storm. be changed bis quarters
to Anolherpar, Of the barn in some straw,
where hi. hiding plse. would be ls.'
likely 10 be discovered. This done he
,arned hi. attention toward, getting
something TO eat Sour apples were well
enough in their place. ba, continued
die, Of them WAS no, 20 be though, OF.
eHeep. in case. OF extreme necessity.
Among the cattle Ia the lean.,o Was q
COW ,hs, gave milk. and ihi. fac. did no,
escape hi, observation. After vainly
trying TO fad dish Of some kind, he
erouehed down beside her. and using bis
vide open mouth for cup. took nearly
all she gave for the morning before he
had fnvhsd his neal. Filling hi, hs,
a. before. with the apples. he started for
hi. couch in the straw. and was fortunate
in fading hens nes, with several eggs
in IL. which he appropriated to bis own
use. lie lay al fall length aud was
.omewha, amused TO hear the exclama-
ton. Of the farmer a. the failure Of the
COW TO 'give down" her milk. which he
had never known her TO do before. lie
va. more successful =, night. though the
yield was nothing more than usual.
For two days the storm continued aud
the vagabond lay in hi, hole in the straw.
and only left |, a, nigh, and for food.
He was careful to take little OF the milk
a, a time. and used broken egg.shell
for cup. lie made good use Of the
egg. As they were laid. and lesssnsi the
pile Of the farmers cider apples.
The storm ceased. and the weather
cleared off cold. and Beleher lsf, his hid.
ing.plsee about midnigh, and went TO
the hut resolved TO accomplish the object
Of his visit. lie effected an entrance as
on former occasion. and found that his
deserted wife was alone. and sleeping
quietly upoa her couch. A light was
started and she awoke in grea, frish. at
seeing q man In the room. She did not
recognize her fsi,hless husband.
"where /. the las, will and testament
Of Peter Brown,' he s.ernly demanded.
She screamed and he rushed forward
and placed hand over her mouth.
None OF that. or | won't answer for
your life," he said. She tried to remove
hi. hand from her face, and 10 her ssrug.
eles the red eunen, sushed from her
mouth and noie. lie laid her back up.
on her pillow and attempted to stop the
flow Of blood. She gssped two or three
times and life was extinct.
81 did no. mean to hurt her," be ex-
claimed after be saw that II was useless
TO try farther to restore her.
Near the head Of the bed he noticed q
little cupboard. which on his frs, visit
he had overlooked, aud on throwing a'id'
bthe door be discovered little tin box put
away Ia . corner. on one OF the shelves
Opening Il. some papers were found
Further search reealsd the dccumen, h'
was In ques, Of.
Found at last" he said. Patt,ng u
into his pocket, he placed the papers Ia
the box. and the box where he had found
Il. lie smoo,hed the bel clothes ovel
the form Of his dead wife, and left the
hut. A, the 6n, pool Of water he c.m'
to. he stopped to wash the blood from
his hands. and reaching the highway b
struck into . run towsrd Boston. 4
cold wind blew from the northwsfd bu
he fisv over the ground ss II be was run